Michael Buerk creates moral dilemma

Michael Buerk has managed to offend West Papuans on The Moral Maze –
the Radio 4 programme that he presents – by calling them "primitive"
and suggesting they kill outsiders.

Tim Walker

9:56PM GMT 25 Feb 2009

A spokesman for Elsham, Papua's leading human rights organisation, says: "I'm surprised an experienced journalist like Mr Buerk should say something that is both offensive and totally wrong. The people being killed in Papua are ordinary Papuans, by the Indonesian military and police. At least 100,000 have been killed. It would be nice to get journalists covering this, rather than regurgitating racist stereotypes.

"Mr Buerk's comments will reinforce public opinion that indigenous West Papuans are not capable of making their own decisions about their land, their natural resources and their forests, and that they should not be accorded human rights like other human beings.

"It will reinforce the idea that to be oppressed and colonized, under an Indonesian occupation, is the right thing for us.

"It would be better for Mr Buerk and his media to work with the UK government to pressure Indonesia's government to make West Papua open to the outside world. That means allowing journalists to enter. That way, Mr Buerk could visit West Papua, meet West Papuans and judge the situation himself."